The Point Pleasant Beach boardwalk on Nov. 1, 2012. The nonprofit group U.S. Strong is urging the creation of a national disaster relief fund.

Written by

Kirk Moore
| @KirkMooreAPP

Escalating costs from weather disasters like superstorm Sandy and the recent Colorado floods show the need for a new national disaster relief and preparation fund, paid with new revenue including a levy on atmospheric carbon emissions, according to a new report by the New Jersey-based nonprofit group U.S. Strong.

Sandy cost the American economy about $70 billion, with more than half of that in New Jersey, where uninsured losses and unmet needs are estimated to be between $8 billion and $13 billion in permanent losses - business, property and public infrastructure costs that cannot be ...